United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has commended and congratulated Malawi for being a leader globally in the fight against HIV and AIDS and for becoming a Board Member of the Global Fund.
Ki-Moon was speaking during an audience with Malawi leader Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday.
The UN boss also hailed Malawi for its participation in peace keeping missions in Africa and beyond.
‘‘Malawi’s peace keeping force is disciplined, I encourage you Mr. President to continue with the standards in the Malawi army,’’ Ki-Moon said.
President Mutharika provided the UN Chief with an update on the socio-economic and political situation in Malawi, with emphasis on food insecurity and public service reforms.
Mutharika thanked the United Nations for its support to Malawi’s development agenda.
Ban Ki-Moon who is serving his final term as UN chief thanked President Mutharika for the support he has always provided to him personally and to the United Nations in general during his tenure of office, and asked him to continue supporting his successor.
Ki-Moon welcomed the declaration made by the President in his address to the UN General Assembly that Malawi has prioritized and domesticated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS).
‘‘Its is pleasing that in Malawi your leadership is focusing on investments, job creation and good governance’’, added Ki- Moon.
The UN Chief also expressed concern about climate change and the resultant hunger in Malawi.
He commended President Mutharika for signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change on 20th September 2016 while in New York.
Ban Ki-Moon has committed to support Malawi’s efforts to find food for its population and help in Malawi’s post-hunger measures such as irrigation.
The two leaders agreed to continue working together, with Ban Ki-Moon pledging to visit Malawi again even if it is after the end of his tenure of office. “I have Mwandama Village in there that I can stay comfortably in. Malawi is a beautiful and great country,” said Ki-Moon.
